Those of you acquainted with the inimitable Ander Webbs have been waiting for this one for a while. Once dubbed ADW Freak, the souped-up version of everyone's favourite open-source launcher has arrived, and it's now named ADW Ex.

On the surface, Ex brings ... well, it brings crazy transitions and UI effects, mainly. But underneath all that is some pretty impressive performance improvements. In a launcher, the real place where performance counts is in the drawer scrolling, and if you've been feeling that ADW is a bit laggy lately, Ex will quell your frustration with its silky smoothness. Combine that with some cheekily named "4D" effects, a handful of desktop scrolling transitions, and the ability to tinker with your desktop icons and you have a pretty compelling revamp of this third-party desktop stalwart.

In Ander's words:

Differences between ADW.Launcher and ADWLauncher EX ADWLauncher EX is based on the ADW.Launcher opensource core with a lot of new additions and improvements, like for example:

5 different app drawer styles/behaviors

3D Nexus One like application drawer

2 different plain vertical drawer styles, the "old one" and a new fast and smooth one

2 different iPhone-like horizontal application drawers, a traditional paginated one and a new one with continuous fling

Different desktop transitions: new animations while navigating through your desktop screens. Try them all, they're crazy!!!

However, unlike the standard ADW Launcher, ADW Launcher Ex comes at a price. Still, at €2.50 (~$3.50), it's difficult to complain. ADW Launcher has been free and open-sourced for so long now that it's only fair to give something back (for Christmas!). On the other hand, one can but hope that some of these new features will trickle down into the ADW packed in with CyanogenMod 7.

Comments

Bateluer

Picked it up today on the recommendation of several devs I follow on Twitter. Not disappointed, but I seem to have lost the ability to rotate the home screens between portrait and landscape. Because I turned up the columns/rows on the home screen to 5?

DroidFiend

Meh. I'm not paying $3.50 for a launcher that I would have time to try out. By the time you buy it and set it up your trial time is up. I know it's not the fault of the devs that google cut us back to 15, but they could make an app like this a 1 week trial. I mean even a day trial would be fine to get a feel for it.
Support devs who are willing to give you some extra time to try out their apps.

Rob

My thoughts exactly when I saw the price tag. Although at least a free version with limited functionality would be better, such as what Launcher Pro has. I'm not forking out money before testing it.

Faruq Rasid

The free version has long been in Android Market and CyanogenMod. Though I would say, it far diff quality than the paid version, just with similar features. Support the dev. ;)

Anakin78z

Just download adw launcher and quit your whining. If that doesn't convince you to buy this application, save your money for more important things that can be bought for 3:50.

Rob

Whining about supposed whining, that's rich.

Jens

Please meta-whine somewhere else where it really matters.

anakin78z

Wow, if my reply was interpreted as whining, I apologize. It was meant to be a snarky bitchy remark, but obviously that didn't come across. Since ADW launcher has been available for free for a really long time, there's no reason to moan about 2.50 eu and regurgitating the same 'oh noez, it's only 15 minutes returnz policy' we've already read everywhere else.

No one

It's quite good, but I still can't hide the Dock on the App Drawer meaning the app drawer performance isn't as good as LauncherPro.

This is a feature in every other dock and I would happily have my mother and brother and father all buy this app if he'd just add this feature.

http://cktravelblog.wordpress.com/ SUDOCHOP

You can hide the dock using swipe motions that are user customizable. This feature has been in there for as long as I have used the free version of ADW.

Ru

Heck, even if it did nothing new except perform better I would buy it. I love free software as much as the next person, but a launcher is the heart of your interaction with the system. I want the developers working on the leading ones to keep at it, focusing not just on pretty graphics (which this has in spades) but also on making it perform well (which this does). 3.50 is nothing for what I'm getting.

Donato Orlando

ADW Launcher EX feels so much more polished than the free one. I feel at $3.50 it's a steal. I have have the donate version of Launcher Pro and this has gotten me back to ADW.

Mr.r9

Can someone please tell me the name of the calender widget in the first screen shot?

No it's not it, I checked. It's not pure calender even. Does anyone know what calender widget it is?

blackops

Did you ever figure out what calendar it was?

Geri O

I emailed the Developer and he said that this calender is a calender that he is developing, but not finished yet. And, as usual with most of these cases, he said "Stay Tuned!".

And I will...:o))

ian melville

hi, i;d like to buy the launcher ex and notifier but no paid market apps in my country as yet :( any link for an apk available?

ian

GergS

You might have to e-mail andersweb, the author, directly.

Jens

Hell yeah, it comes with a bass drum too.

T

Worth every penny of it. If 3.50 is to much for you for an awesome app like this.... get a better paying job. =-)

Benjamin

I was much fascinated and purchased adw ex and installed. I felt proud of it though I have Launcher Pro Plus.
Indeed ADW Ex is great home replacement, but the multiple docks like Launcher Pro is missing, which I feel is a must. Can ADW add it in an update.
The app is very fast and does not lag in my Xperia X10i.
I tried uninstalling, and it did not refund, as it has 15 minutes policy, and I used for 20 minutes :(
I would love to have this as my default home if multiple docks are there like LP Plus.

Aaron S

My first 3rd party launcher for my Droid 2. It's quite slick.

Anybody have an organized user manual? There are so many features, and I'm not clear what they all do.

Sometimes, I find that I can't open the application-drawer. This isn't a bug - I just don't understand the behaviors of that little grid-shaped icon.

So, if anybody has good documentation on the use of this amazing little app, please share.

$3.50 is cheap, and this is very well written. It's fast, responsive, and really spices up the aesthetics of my Droid 2.

fury

Shame the screenshots are a little misleading as clearly they show ADW being used with sense widgets like the clock/weather. I was really hoping to still have access to them and thought I would when I saw those images.

Seth

That widget is probably beautiful widget's home weather. It's a very nice and customizable widget pack, but it does cost a little money.

PapaOso

Great launcher...no problem with the price. Really like the 'folders' option. Now where can I get the neat wood grain Android wallpaper?

HarvesterX™

I don't understand the moaning over scrolling docks? You can add as many icons as you want to the ADW dock and if you put more than 6 icons there, it scrolls to accommodate. Am I missing something here? I have several docks each of which I can "scroll" to. I don't know whether to say something very ride, or to assume ignorance on other people's part, or realize.I'm not talking about what you are and feel like a jerkwad for posting this.

Edit: I guess you mean you want to scroll over the main dockbar and not the pullup one. That sorta makes sense to me I guess, even though a simple upward swipe then scroll doesn't seem to difficult. To each their own though :-)

Benjamin

Hi Harvest, your reply seems convincing. I couldn't find how to add more apps in the dock. Can you post an instruction as to how-to-do-it please. Thank you.

Benjamin

Hi, I was so stupid that I didn't know it. I just dragged and dropped, and the dock just keeps growing horizontally. Fantastic.

Is there any ways to make the dock bar scroll repeatedly (i.e., after I come to the end of an app, it should begin the first one).

HarvesterX™

Glad you figured it out! :-) Now unfortunately, I don't.believe that there is any way in ADW "EX" to jabs it so your dock.loops as in Launcher Pro...well if it's there I haven't found it yet!

Does the ADW Launcher EX support Launcher Pro scrollable widgets? If yes I might switch to it...

unclefrancis

I've been using adw before it was a on the market. It gets improved upon continuously and I love all the options so I bought it. Well worth the $3.50. Can't justify purchasing themes though, thats just silly.

Barry

I know this is a dumb one, but i just installed the trial version and cannot find the icon for the PHONE anywhere! Great launcher, better if i can make a call, though!

NMCF

Wondering the same as JKay... does it support scrollable widgets?

HarvesterX™

Yes, it has support for scrollable widgets.

tediberus

great work ...... only thing i wish would be the app drawer icons can be arranged like in touchwiz instead of having to create groups

Alexmmmm

Where is the option to enable scrollable widgets? I've searched all over.